Does the rise of illegal streaming pose an existential threat to football?

To answer that question, Adam Leventhal has spent the last six months looking into the culture, crime and crisis associated with pirating live football matches.

In this special episode of The Athletic FC Podcast you'll hear undercover reporting and behind the scenes access to police investigations, including how the world's largest illegal sports streaming platform was taken down.

We get the takes of match-going fans, and ask if 'Premflix' is the future of Premier League broadcasting?

If you're an Athletic subscriber you can have your say here.

And if you're not yet a subscriber, join here and have your say.

Please note that the documentary has content some listeners may find upsetting.

Host: Adam Leventhal

Mixing: Jay Beale

Producer: Abi Paterson

Featuring footage from Amazon, Sky Sports, tallkSPORT, Leaders.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Referees are integral to football. But with every decision scrutinised, why would anyone want to be a referee?

The Athletic has been given insider access to the life of Premier League referees. From a gruelling pre-season training camp to matchday, join Adam Leventhal as he finds out what it takes to take command of the football pitch.

We'll explain the new laws you'll see this season and the refs will explain why they should benefit the game.

You'll hear from PGMO chief, Howard Webb, current Premier League refs Andy Madeley and Peter Bankes, the latest VAR recruits, and many more.

Join us as we take you inside the world of referees.

Host: Adam Leventhal

Exec Prod: Abi Paterson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Transfers that shook the world, a summer series for The Athletic FC looking back on the moves that sparked fury and saw heroes become villains.

Today we’re heading back to July 2001, when Sol Campbell completed perhaps the most controversial move in Premier League history.

More than 20 years on, why are feelings still so strong? And was Campbell vindicated in swapping Spurs for their bitter rivals Arsenal?

Host: Ayo Akinwolere

With: Amy Lawrence & Danny Kelly

Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead

Producers: Guy Clarke & Lucy Oliva

Sound Design: Jay Beale

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Transfers that shook the world, a summer series for The Athletic FC looking back on the moves that sparked fury and saw heroes become villains.

Today we’re heading back to July 2009 when Carlos Tevez swapped the red half of Manchester for blue.

So why was the move quite so controversial - and how symbolic was it in shifting the balance of power in the hunt for Premier League dominance?

Host: Ayo Akinwolere

With: Andy Mitten & Oli Kay

Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead

Producers: Guy Clarke and Lucy Oliva

Sound Design: Jay Beale

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Transfers that shook the world, a summer series for The Athletic FC looking back on the moves that sparked fury and saw heroes become villains.

Today we’re heading back to the summer of 2006, and a saga that saw rival lines crossed from the North to West of London as Ashley Cole traded boyhood club Arsenal for rising force Chelsea.

So why was the acrimonious move considered such a betrayal? And how did the deal signify a power shift in capital as the blue side of London rose to prominence?

Host: Ayo Akinwolere

With: Simon Johnson & James McNicholas

Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead

Producers: Guy Clarke and Lucy Oliva

Sound Design: Jay Beale

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Transfers that shook the world, a summer series for The Athletic FC looking back on the moves that sparked fury and saw heroes become villains.

Today we’re heading back to August 2012, when Arsenal captain Robin van Persie crossed a divide that had defined a Premier League era…

So why was van Persie determined to swap the Emirates for Old Trafford - and did the move ultimately prove to be Sir Alex Ferguson’s final masterstroke at Manchester United?

Host: Ayo Akinwolere

With: David Ornstein, Amy Lawrence, Oli Kay & Andy Mitten

Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead

Producers: Guy Clarke and Lucy Oliva

Sound Design: Jay Beale

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Transfers that Shook the World, a summer series for The Athletic FC looking back on the moves that sparked fury and saw heroes become villains.

Today we’re heading back to January 2011 when Chelsea broke the British transfer record to sign Liverpool’s No.9, Fernando Torres.

So why was Torres’ move from Liverpool to Chelsea so controversial and was he a success at Stamford Bridge?

Host: Ayo Akinwolere

With: Simon Hughes and Dom Fifield

Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead

Producers: Guy Clarke and Lucy Oliva

Sound Design: Jay Beale

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Transfers that shook the world, a summer series for The Athletic FC looking back on the moves that sparked fury and saw heroes become villains.

Today we’re heading back to July 2000 - when Luís Figo did the unthinkable and made the move from Barcelona to Real Madrid…

It was a transfer that sent shockwaves through La Liga and went down in footballing folklore - but a quarter of a century later, how is it viewed now? And how pivotal was it in shaping the modern day Real Madrid?

Host: Ayo Akinwolere

With: Pol Ballús, José Antonio Espina & Andy Mitten

Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead

Producers: Guy Clarke and Lucy Oliva

Sound Design: Jay Beale

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's been two football tournaments in the United States this summer, the Club World Cup and the Gold Cup. Both with an ostensible Saudi feel, all part of grand plan to invest heavily in sport backed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Adam Leventhal has travelled to Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas to witness this soft power at play. Hear from Saudi players and fans who celebrate the exposure afforded by these tournaments, but also, crucially, those who fear its impact. All with an eye on the future when Saudi Arabia will be hosting the 2034 Men's World Cup.

Host: Adam Leventhal

Producer: Jesse Howard

Exec Producer: Abi Paterson

Featuring footage from: DAZN, Fox News, CBS News, France 24 News, FIFA

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gianni Infantino, FIFA president, is world football's most powerful man.

His presidency has been marked by the controversial men's World Cups in Russia and Qatar, as well as the awarding of the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia. But it is the newly-expanded Club World Cup that he hopes to leave as his legacy.

So, who is Gianni Infantino, where did he come from, where is he taking the game, and has he fulfilled his promises?

Join Adam Leventhal as he tracks Infantino's journey from son of migrants to rubbing shoulders with the world's leaders.

Featuring footage from: FIFA, Sky News, ABC News, AFP, iShowSpeed, Eurosport, Channel Four, Reuters, China Global Television Network

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.